A Light In the Dark
by TheLovelyReaper
Summary: Stuart is at the end of his rope. He has a family that barely cares, no friends since Howard has returned, and no girlfriend. It's finally time to end it all. T for mention of suicide and cutting. May be changed to M.
1. Chapter 1

It was ten minutes to closing and Stuart was anxious. More anxious than his usual jumpy self. The reason being because this was the night he was finally going to do it. The night he had only talked about to his many therapists. Tonight, Stuart was going to kill himself.

He had no friends, no girlfriend, and his family barely cared that he existed. His home was a small apartment full of comic books with a single mattress. The shop only made enough money to just make ends meet. The only companion he had now that Howard had returned was the stray cat who showed up for dinner sometimes. Still, it was enough to help him finally make up his decision to end it all.

It was now five minutes to closing and he was still open on the off chance that Sheldon Cooper, his insane regular, came in at the last second. Instead of Sheldon, though, it was a beautiful woman. A beautiful young woman with wild black hair and a pair of cute hipster glasses. She looked absolutely entranced as she took in her surroundings.

"Welcome," Stuart said softly.

"H-Hi! Sorry if I seemed rude for just coming in without saying hi or asking if you were open."

"It's alright and yes, we're open. Look around for as long as you want."

"Really? Yay! Thank you!"

The overly excited customer skipped and danced gracefully from shelf to shelf as she browsed. Stuart scanned her silently. She was quite short, but very cute. Her clothes resembled an anime character, long-sleeved white shirt with baggy pants and Converse. The type of girl that he saw more in public libraries than in comic shops. Still, it was refreshing to see a cute girl that wasn't in a relationship every once in a while.

It was twenty minutes before she finally came to the counter with various comic books and trinkets. She smiled endearingly at Stuart as he bagged everything.

"By the way, my name is Violet. But everyone calls me Bunny."

"My name is Stuart. Everyone calls me Stuart. Your total is 109.80 and will that be cash or credit?"

"Cash is all I carry, sweetheart. Here ya' go."

The pixie-like girl handed him a two hundred dollar bills and smiled brightly. He went to return the change, but she handed him a note instead. Then she picked up her bag and left swiftly. Stuart opened the note, his heart fluttering at the graceful writing.

_Super-_

_ I was going to pass this shop today like I always do on my way home from work, but today something caught my eye. A downcast hero begging for someone to see him, someone to notice. Because, you know, even superheroes get lonely sometimes. I always see you but am always too afraid to say hello. Terrified of scaring you away. But something told me to come in today to say hi. Whatever it was, I hope I helped._

_-Your damsel_

At the very bottom were a phone number and an IM name. For once in his life, Stuart wasn't contemplating suicide. The opposite was on his mind, actually. Tonight, he would go home, add her into his IM contact list, and get a good night's sleep. It was pleasant to know that an actual girl liked him for once.

The next day, he went through his usual routine of getting up and opening the shop. It was around one when a blur of curls and silk rushed in, dropped a bag on the counter, and left. On a sticky note was an apology for not being able to eat lunch together due to work signed by Violet. Inside the bag were two pieces of baked chicken, a small box of mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies. Stuart took a break to eat them in the back room.

She did not show up today, so he went home and IM'd her. There was an almost instant reply.

_LolitaRaver: Sorry, I couldn't swing by today, work had me stay late._

_CBGStu: All is forgiven. How was work?_

_LolitaRaver: Rough, but worth it. How about you?_

_CBGStu: Very slow. Thank you for the food btw._

_LolitaRaver: No problem! You looked hungry and I made too much for just me and Benjamin last night._

His heart sank. Finally, after all these years, he had found a beautiful girl that liked him and she was taken by a guy named Benjamin. Thoughts of depression clashed with rage within the dark caverns of his mind.

_CBGStu: I have to go. Chat later?_

_LolitaRaver: Okay :( bye! See you tomorrow._

Snapping his laptop shut, Stuart walked over to his only cabinet and pulled out a knife. He rolled up his sleeve to expose many cuts and scars from over the years. Sneering, he slid the knife over an empty spot right above his wrist until it bled. Then, he cleaned everything up, wrapped a bandage around, and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Stuart had the next day off, so he spent it at home, wallowing in self pity. He entertained himself by surfing the internet and changing his bandages. Days off were dreaded in the way that his thoughts tormented his mind. The emptiness and silence of the apartment allowed ample time for them to fester. They focused mostly on the 9mm in the kitchen cabinet that rested atop a suicide note.

After what had happened last night, he was more tempted than ever. An IM from Violet interrupted his thoughts.

_LolitaRaver: What are your plans for tonight?_

_CBGStu: Nothing much, you?_

_LolitaRaver: Watching old movies and eating pizza, wanna come?_

Stu thought about it for a few minutes. On the up side, he would have more time with Bunny. Down side, Benjamin would probably be there. He flipped a coin to make his decision.

_CBGStu: Okay, sounds good. _

_LolitaRaver: Yay! ^O^ Come over around seven._

_CBGStu: Ok, bye._

Stuart logged off and grabbed his knife. One slice to his shoulder so he could make it through the day. To him, cutting was like a drug. It made him feel as if his troubles trickled out with the blood and washed away down the drain. The relief was only temporary, though. Every day he needed to get his fix. His parents had him locked up for it once, as did his former friends. He was released by his therapists every time.

After the knife was cleaned and he had showered, the time was only five. Stu sat down on his bed with a stack of the comic books titled _Black Velvet Hammer_. It was about a vampire girl whose family is slaughtered by a syndicate of hunters despite their peaceful nature and treaty. Instead of gaining vengeance on the syndicate, though, she becomes a vigilante with the sole purpose of taking down the rogue creatures that framed her clan and caused them to take action. There was even a television show of it that he had been unable to watch due to lack of T.V. and unstable internet.

It was six thirty by the time he had finished reading and analyzing every copy. This procedure was necessary if he was to have a valid argument against Sheldon Cooper. He decided to leave a bit early to allow time in case he got lost. During his shower, Violet had sent an IM with her address. Stuart was surprised when he found her home, to say the least. It was a large condo overlooking the beach at the edge of town. One side was entirely made of window glass.

He rang the doorbell and waited for a response. Bunny greeted him swiftly.

"You're early, but that's okay. C'mon in!"

The cute nerd led him to a room with two couches, a television, and a coffee table. A small cat was curled up on the arm of one couch.

"That's Benjamin. He's my little buddy," she grinned.

Stuart relaxed completely at this. Ben wasn't a person after all. Then he felt absolutely awful. Ben _wasn't_ a person. He had gotten upset and jealous over nothing. Now he was forced to wear long sleeves for the rest of the month. It was September. Violet seemed to notice his mood change.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"You look a bit flushed; maybe you should take off that jacket."

"No, I-I'm okay. Thank you."

She gave him a suspicious glance, but didn't push the subject any further. After telling him to make himself at home, the woman ducked into the kitchen to finish dinner. Stuart scanned her collection of movies, surprised to discover she had nearly every single superhero, sci-fi, fantasy, and kung-fu film he had seen or heard of. It was Nerdvana. He moved on to the comics in a shelf beside the movies. Along with the ones he had sold her, there was every issue of _Velvet Hammer_, including the one for next month, and various other superheroes.

A soft cough sounded from behind, startling the poor man half to death. Violet was holding two plates of pizza on one arm and a glass of wine for each of them in the other. Stu took his gratefully, taking a seat on the couch, and waiting for her to choose the movie. She chose B-rated Sci-Fi flick called "Lockdown 51". It was about two FBI agents trapped in Area 51 with experiments gone wrong. They made fun of it while dinner was being eaten. By the end, they were both laughing uncontrollably.

"A-And then, he bought it!"

"That is so cool! I love using reverse psychology on people," she snickered.

Stuart started to feel uncomfortably warm in his jacket and stripped it off. Beneath it was a long sleeved shirt. Ben moved from his place on Bunny's lap to sit on the discarded outerwear. He looked at the cat, then at the woman beside him, who stared back. Before they knew it, Violet was in his arms and kissing him vigorously. It was better than he imagined. Her hands busied themselves in his hair for a bit.

Soon, Stu took over control and moved so she was pinned beneath. Those delicate hands wandered to the hem of his shirt, pulling up gently. He was too preoccupied to notice. She exposed his flat stomach, then his ribs. Violet had it off all the way before he could protest. A gasp escaped from her lips at the sight of the scars and bandages. Her fingers traced some of the faded ones.

"What happened to you?" she whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

Stuart tried to escape with the last bit of dignity he had. He really did. But Violet was more stubborn than Sheldon Cooper himself. She grabbed him around the shoulders and held on for dear life.

"Let go."

"Not until you tell me what happened!"

"You really wanna know?" he whispered ominously.

She nodded and he sat back down with his head in his hands.

"I'm not a healthy person, Bunny. I have the bones of a fifty year old man, nobody likes me, and my family could care less if I was dead or alive. Cutting helps relieve the stress and pain that hole up inside me."

"But I like you…"

Stu glanced at her from the corner of his eye, smirking.

"Well, you're the first. I did have some 'friends' for a little while, but that's because one of their friends was on a trip. After he came back, I wasn't needed anymore."

"That's rude."

"I don't really care, I'm used to it."

"It sure looks like you care. You should let me check those out; to make sure they aren't infected."

"They're not, I've been doing this since I was thirteen and there hasn't been an infection yet."

Violet stared at him suspiciously, trying to stare him down, but he wouldn't budge. She gave up with an adorable pout. This action caused Stuart to laugh harder than he had in a long time. The petite woman joined in, her laughter similar to the peal of bells. It was an enchanting sound to say the least. Stu stopped to catch his breath and watched her. Benjamin strode in to inspect the source of the disturbance.

"Hey kitty," he mumbled, petting the little tabby.

Ben purred in response, butting his hand with his head gently. Normally animals hated Stuart with a passion, even the stray that he fed. But this cat seemed happy to see him without any idea just who he was. It was a warm feeling to have this affection from such a strange creature.

"Benjamin is kind of like you, a bit damaged but perfect," Bunny commented from beside him.

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't know it, but, he's blind. I found him in a dumpster along with his sister when they were a week old. His eyes were extremely infected, so I brought him to the vet. They were able to let him keep his eyes, but weren't able to keep his sight."

"Then, how does he know where everything is?"

"I said that I found his sister too. She's much more timid than he is, but she is still in the room. Miko just blends in."

Stuart looked around for a moment, but couldn't spot her. Sighing, Violet grabbed Ben suddenly, causing him to emit a sound of surprise. A gray blur darted from beneath the other couch to her lap. A beautiful concrete-colored cat was now perched on her knee. Peridot eyes narrowed protectively at the tabby.

"That's Miko. Isn't she pretty?"

Stu nodded in agreement, still shocked by the appearance of the cat. Benjamin purred and nuzzled his sister lovingly. Miko responded by cleaning him. It was an adorable sight to see. He soon returned his attention back to the other human in the room. She looked back quietly.

"W-well, I'd better get going. I have to work tomorrow and its comic book day for the whacko."

"Aw, okay. I had a nice night and I will probably pop by after work."

"I did too. Thank you for dinner and goodnight."

"It was my pleasure and goodnight to you too. And Stuart," Violet's tone turned serious, "Please don't hurt yourself anymore, for me?"

He stood, giving a single nod before leaving. Stuart actually felt good about himself as he went home to his little apartment. For once in his life, someone actually cared about his well-being without being paid to do so. It was a fantastic feeling deep within his being. Not even the dreaded comic book day could dampen his mood.

The next day, Stuart got ready without even going near his knife cabinet. Every customer was met with a smile that didn't harbor deep resentment. Even when six 'o'clock rolled around and the group of scientists showed up, no suicidal thoughts entered his mind. Unfortunately, that's also when Violet decided to show up. Leonard Hofstadter saw her first and meandered over.

"Hi, I'm Leonard," he greeted in false nervousness.

"Violet."

"Oh, like the flower or the color. Very interesting how many things you can compare names too."

Stu wanted to storm over and hit him so bad he could taste it. He could not stand to watch this pervert get his hooks in _his_ girl. Lucky for him, Bunny was one step ahead.

"Yeah, very, now please move."

"Well, actually, I was thinking we could discuss it some more. Maybe over dinner?"

"Sorry, I'm busy."

"Tomorrow?"

"Same, sorry."

Before he could say another word, she ducked around the nerd and darted to the counter. Stuart smiled proudly. She pulled a container from the depths of her messenger bag and set it on the counter. Inside was a large burrito.

"It's steak and bean. My manager bought me lunch, but I brought leftovers to eat."

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this."

"I know, but you're so skinny that I can't help it! Now eat!"

Chuckling, he obeyed her orders. It was surprisingly good despite his dislike of Hispanic food. Leonard looked absolutely shocked at the events that had taken place. Actually, every person in the comic book store did; including the ever-disinterested Dr. Sheldon Cooper. His attention was focused entirely on Violet. This continued as he came up to by his comics.

"Uh, hi,"

"Hello," he replied slowly.

"That'll be 15.19."

The physicist nodded, handing him the money and taking a book from the stack. He held it out to Bunny.

"C-can I please have your autograph?"

"Sure," she pulled a marker from her jacket, "You are the first and only fan that's been able to catch me. Congratulations."

"It's really an honor, Miss Sterling. Thank you."

The group of scientists left soon after and Stuart turned to his mysterious friend.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, you see, I'm-"

She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing loudly.

"What is it, Marcus? Uh huh, oh, okay. Alright."

Stu looked at her questioningly and Violet sighed.

"I've gotta go. I'll explain later, okay?"

Giving him a swift kiss on the cheek, she left. Stuart was completely flabbergasted. Just who was this perplexing beauty?


End file.
